Boston Celtics guard Dennis Schroder won’t be available for the team’s Christmas Day game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
The team announced on Saturday that Schroder is in the NBA’s health and safety protocols.
Schroder becomes the 13th Celtics player currently in protocols. Jabari Parker, Juancho Hernangomez and Al Horford are all listed as questionable to be activated from the protocols vs. the Bucks.
Marcus Smart is also questionable with a left hip contusion.
Schroder has been impressive for the Celtics this season, averaging 16.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 29 games. He signed with Boston last offseason after spending the 2020-21 season with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The 28-year-old missed time last season in the NBA’s health and safety protocols but has otherwise been pretty durable through his nine-year career. He has appeared in at least 61 games in each of his last seven seasons.
Schroder’s best season came during the 2017-18 campaign, when he was a member of the Atlanta Hawks. He averaged a career-best 19.4 points per game, in addition to 3.1 rebounds and 6.2 assists per contest.
Schroder missing any time isn’t great for the Celtics. The team would normally turn to Romeo Langford, Payton Pritchard and Aaron Nesmith when he misses time, but Langford is listed as questionable to play Saturday because of an Achilles injury, while Nesmith will be out because of health and safety protocols.
Boston is 16-16 this season and sits in eighth place in the Eastern Conference. Schroder’s value as the No. 3 option behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown leaves head coach Brad Stevens in a bind trying to replace his scoring ability.